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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To approve the Welsh Language Standards Annual Report 2024/25 (attached as Appendix A) prior to formal publication in accordance with the Welsh Language Standards (Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011).
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To note the content of the Democratic Services Committee Annual Report 2024/25, attached at Appendix 1.
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To note the content of the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee Annual Report 2024/25, attached at Appendix 1.
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. Receive nominations and appoint to the vacancy on the Committees, in accordance with the Party Group wishes, as set out on the Amendment Sheet.
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To approve the new appointments of Local Authority governors to the school governing bodies as set out in Appendix 1, each for a term of 4 years from the date of the appointment, in accordance with the recommendations of the Local Authority Governor Panel.
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To approve the updated programme of meetings for the 2025-26 municipal year as in Appendix A (to be published on the Amendment Sheet); 2. To delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the respective Chairpersons, to make any subsequent alterations to the programme of meetings which may be required.
Apologies were received from Cllrs Ali, Lent and Lloyd Jones.
The following declarations of interest were received in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct. Name Agenda item Nature of interest Reason for interest Cllr Peter Bradbury 10 Personal Trustee of various organisations in Caerau Cllr Sean Driscoll 12 (Q2) Personal Governor of Danescourt Primary School Cllr Chris Weaver 12 (Q2) Personal Governor of Cathays High School, Gladstone Primary School and Fairoak Primary School Cllr Chris Weaver 12, 17 Personal Member of the Local Government Scheme Advisory Board Cllr Neil McEvoy Children’s services and housing disrepair
The minutes of the Annual Council meeting on 22nd May were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
There were no public questions.
One petition was presented to Council. Presented by Number of relevant signatures Nature of petition Cllr Calum Davies 68 Calling on the council to drop plans to end initial free car parking hours
A full list of mayoral engagements had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting. The Lord Mayor added that his first engagement after taking office had been to welcome the Canadian vessel HMCS Montreal and its crew to Cardiff. A coffee morning with live music and tour of Mansion House in support of the Lord Mayor’s chosen charities would be held on Friday 25th July, and he thanked Cllr Owen for agreeing to play the piano. The Lord Mayor’s charity cricket match would also take place on Friday 22nd August in St Fagan’s. He sent thoughts and condolences to Cllr Helen Lloyd Jones on the passing of her husband Richard, who had until recently been the Lord Mayor’s Consort. His funeral was planned to take place on 18th June, and further details would be provided in due course.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To approve the Welsh Language Standards Annual Report 2024/25 (attached as Appendix A) prior to formal publication in accordance with the Welsh Language Standards (Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011).
Council was asked to agree and approve the content of the Welsh Language Standards Annual Report 2024/25, prior to formal publication in accordance with the Welsh Language Standards, under the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011. The report was proposed by Cllr Thomas and seconded by Cllr Green. One amendment had been received from the Liberal Democrat group. The amendment was proposed by Cllr Berman as follows: 1) Approve the Welsh Language Standards Annual Report 2024/25 (attached as Appendix A) prior to formal publication in accordance with the Welsh Language Standards (Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011). 2) Insert Call on the Cabinet to bring forward a report before the end of October 2025 outlining options for the delivery of a fourth Welsh-medium high school for the city. The amendment was seconded by Cllr Molik. The Lord Mayor invited debate on the report and amendment. Cllr Thomas confirmed that the amendment was not accepted. The Lord Mayor moved to the vote on the amendment. FOR (17) Cllrs Berman, Carter, Cowan, Davies, Driscoll, Gibson, Hopkins, Lancaster, Latif, Livesy, McEvoy, Melbourne, Molik, Naughton, Owen, Shimmin and Wood AGAINST (45) Cllrs Abdul-Sattar, Saleh Ahmed, Anderson, Ash-Edwards, Bradbury, Bridgeman, Burke, Carr, Chowdhury, Cunnah, De’Ath, Derbyshire, Ebrahim, Elsmore, Ferguson-Thorne, Goodway, Green, Gunter, Hinchey, Humphreys, Hunt, Jenkins, Owen Jones, Kaaba, Lay, Lewis, Lister, Littlechild, Mackie, McGarry, Merry, Michael, Moultrie, Palmer, Proctor, Sangani, Simmons, Singh, Stubbs, Thomas, Thomson, Thorne, Weaver, Wild and Wong ABSTAIN (0) The amendment was LOST. The amendment having been lost, the Lord Mayor moved to the vote on the recommendations as outlined in the report. FOR (62) Cllrs Abdul-Sattar, Saleh Ahmed, Anderson, Ash-Edwards, Berman, Bradbury, Bridgeman, Burke, Carr, Carter, Chowdhury, Cowan, Cunnah, Davies, De’Ath, Derbyshire, Driscoll, Ebrahim, Elsmore, Ferguson-Thorne, Gibson, Goodway, Greene, Gunter, Hinchey, Hopkins, Humphreys, Hunt, Jenkins, Keith Jones, Owen Jones, Kaaba, Lancaster, Latif, Lay, Lewis, Lister, Littlechild, Livesy, Mackie, McGarry, Melbourne, Merry, Michael, Molik, Moultrie, Naughton, Owen, Palmer, Proctor, Sangani, Shimmin, Simmons, Singh, Stubbs, Thomas, Thomson, Thorne, Weaver, Wild, Wong and Wood AGAINST (1) Cllr McEvoy ABSTAIN (0) RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To approve the Welsh Language Standards Annual Report 2024/25 (attached as Appendix A) prior to formal publication in accordance with the Welsh Language Standards (Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011).
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To note the content of the Democratic Services Committee Annual Report 2024/25, attached at Appendix 1.
Council was asked to consider the annual report of the Democratic Services Committee for 2024/25. The report was proposed by Cllr Lancaster, Chair of the Democratic Services Committee. The Lord Mayor invited debate on the report. RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To note the content of the Democratic Services Committee Annual Report 2024/25, attached at Appendix 1.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To note the content of the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee Annual Report 2024/25, attached at Appendix 1.
Council was asked to consider the annual report of the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee for 2024/25. The report was proposed by Cllr Merry, Chair of the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee. The Lord Mayor invited debate on the report. RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To note the content of the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee Annual Report 2024/25, attached at Appendix 1.
Leader’s Statement Cllr Thomas responded to questions in relation to: - the Tafwyl festival and Welsh-medium education; - investment in, and regeneration of, disadvantaged communities. Adult Services and Public Health & Equality Statement Cllrs Thomson and Sangani responded to questions in relation to: - the Nation of Sanctuary Awards; - the annual Social Worker Satisfaction Survey; - the ‘Wales: A Home from Home’ exhibition; - Neurodivergent Friendly Champions training; - Welsh-language provision for disadvantaged children. Climate Change, Strategic Planning & Transport Statement Cllr De’Ath responded to questions in relation to: - secure cycle storage; - electric buses; - bike theft and the replacement of the Nextbike scheme. Deputy Leader and Education Statement Cllr Merry responded to questions in relation to: - the Cardiff School Swimming pilot scheme; - reciprocal visits with schools in Europe; - Adamsdown Primary School’s 150th anniversary; - the Court School in Llanishen’s move to a new site. Children’s Services, Tackling Poverty & Supporting Young People Statement Cllrs Lister and Bradbury responded to questions in relation to: - play sufficiency for children with additional learning needs; - Welsh-medium youth provision in Cardiff East. Waste, Street Scene & Environmental Services Statement Cllr Mackie responded to questions in relation to: - additional Education & Engagement Officers within the Southern Arc; - the trial of seagull-proof sacks; - the ‘grow our own’ recruitment approach of Shared Regulatory Services; - missed collections; - waste education and enforcement. Culture, Sport & Parks Statement Cllr Burke responded to questions in relation to: - the reopening of St David’s Hall; - spending on parks improvements by ward. Finance, Modernisation & Performance Statement Cllr Weaver responded to questions in relation to: - the Socially Responsible Procurement Strategy’s focus on deforestation and local providers; - the Modern Slavery Statement 2025-26. Housing & Communities Statement Cllrs Thorne and Bridgeman responded to questions in relation to: - BISF housing in Rumney; - Prevent training for adults; - new council housing in Llanrumney; - the criteria for the Neighbourhood Renewal Schemes. Investment & Development Statement Cllr Goodway responded to questions in relation to: - the Shared Prosperity Fund; - improving the public realm in the city centre; - the national Labour government.
The Lord Mayor noted that a Notice of Motion proposed by Cllr Thomas and seconded by Cllr Ebrahim had been received for consideration. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Thomas to propose the Motion as follows: This Council notes that 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, with the 80th VE Day celebrated in May, and VJ Day celebrations due in August. It represents one of the last opportunities to honour living veterans who served during the conflict. This Council wishes to reaffirm our appreciation and gratitude to Cardiff’s Greatest Generation – servicemen and women, those who served in the civilian services, or who worked in the war industry and reserved occupations – for their service and sacrifice in preserving our liberty. In so doing, the Council also wishes to acknowledge those contributions to the war effort that have been overlooked in the past, most notably from our diverse communities, and from countries with long-standing links to Cardiff. Amongst our citizens are the descendants of many who came here to help at our time of greatest need. People like Viv (Chalky) White who came from the West Indies to contribute his expertise as an aircraft fitter, those from the former British Somaliland, Yemen, and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, who served with distinction in the British Army and the Merchant Navy, and those from what are now India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as Poland and many other countries. For all their service in the Second World War and other conflicts, our annual promise is that "We Will Remember Them". The Council also notes with concern the worrying parallels between the build-up to war in the 1930s and present-day global events. This includes the subversion of international law by some countries using military strength to impose their will on neighbours. Also, the polarisation of societies, the growing lack of tolerance for opposing views and the rise of hate speech, especially on social media, and the ‘othering’ of some groups and communities. This Council therefore resolves: - To celebrate and thank all members of our Greatest Generation, in all their myriad and diverse communities, for their contribution to victory in WW2. - To stand in solidarity with all those who are today resisting oppression and dictatorship, and to reject – at home and abroad – those who would seek to divide us. - To reaffirm our identity as a city that is international and inclusive in its character and welcoming to those who flee oppression. The Motion was formally seconded by Cllr Ebrahim. An Amendment to the Motion had been received from the Liberal Democrat group. The Lord Mayor called upon Cllr Molik to move the Amendment as follows: This Council notes that 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, with the 80th VE Day celebrated in May, and VJ Day celebrations due in August. It represents one of the last opportunities to honour living veterans who served during the conflict. This Council wishes to reaffirm our appreciation and gratitude to Cardiff’s Greatest Generation – servicemen and women Insert and children, those who served in the civilian services, or who worked in the war industry and reserved occupations – for their service and sacrifice in preserving our liberty. In so doing, the Council also wishes to acknowledge those contributions to the war effort that have been overlooked in the past, most notably from our diverse communities, and from countries with long-standing links to Cardiff. Amongst our citizens are the descendants of many who came here to help at our time of greatest need. People like Viv (Chalky) White who came from the West Indies to contribute his expertise as an aircraft fitter, those from the former British Somaliland, Yemen, and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, who served with distinction in the British Army and the Merchant Navy, and those from Insert commonwealth nations including what are now India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as Poland and many other countries. For all their service in the Second World War and other conflicts, our annual promise is that "We Will Remember Them". The Council also notes with concern the worrying parallels between the build-up to war in the 1930s and present-day global events. This includes the subversion of international law by some countries using military strength to impose their will on neighbours. Also, the polarisation of societies, the growing lack of tolerance for opposing views and the rise of hate speech, especially on social media, and the ‘othering’ of some groups and communities. Insert Different cultures, faiths and backgrounds worked together to defend our freedom then, and them, their descendants and other immigrants come to serve the nation now. They may be part of our armed forces protecting our borders and security, they may be constructing our homes or serving in our health and care system. All are contributing and serving our nation, and Cardiff is better for them. This Council therefore resolves: - To celebrate and thank all members of our Greatest Generation, in all their myriad and diverse communities, for their contribution to victory in WW2. - To stand in solidarity with all those who are today resisting oppression and dictatorship, and to reject – at home and abroad – those who would seek to divide us. - To reaffirm our identity as a city that is international and inclusive in its character and welcoming to those who flee oppression. - Insert To celebrate our diverse cultural heritage and people who had immigrated here during and since WW2 to make Cardiff the great city that it is. The amended motion would read as follows: This Council notes that 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, with the 80th VE Day celebrated in May, and VJ Day celebrations due in August. It represents one of the last opportunities to honour living veterans who served during the conflict. This Council wishes to reaffirm our appreciation and gratitude to Cardiff’s Greatest Generation – servicemen, women and children, those who served in the civilian services, or who worked in the war industry and reserved occupations – for their service and sacrifice in preserving our liberty. In so doing, the Council also wishes to acknowledge those contributions to the war effort that have been overlooked in the past, most notably from our diverse communities, and from countries with long-standing links to Cardiff. Amongst our citizens are the descendants of many who came here to help at our time of greatest need. People like Viv (Chalky) White who came from the West Indies to contribute his expertise as an aircraft fitter, those from the former British Somaliland, Yemen, and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, who served with distinction in the British Army and the Merchant Navy, and those from commonwealth nations includingwhat are now India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as Poland and many other countries. For all their service in the Second World War and other conflicts, our annual promise is that "We Will Remember Them". The Council also notes with concern the worrying parallels between the build-up to war in the 1930s and present-day global events. This includes the subversion of international law by some countries using military strength to impose their will on neighbours. Also, the polarisation of societies, the growing lack of tolerance for opposing views and the rise of hate speech, especially on social media, and the ‘othering’ of some groups and communities. Different cultures, faiths and backgrounds worked together to defend our freedom then, and them, their descendants and other immigrants come to serve the nation now. They may be part of our armed forces protecting our borders and security, they may be constructing our homes or serving in our health and care system. All are contributing and serving our nation, and Cardiff is better for them. This Council therefore resolves: - To celebrate and thank all members of our Greatest Generation, in all their myriad and diverse communities, for their contribution to victory in WW2. - To stand in solidarity with all those who are today resisting oppression and dictatorship, and to reject – at home and abroad – those who would seek to divide us. - To reaffirm our identity as a city that is international and inclusive in its character and welcoming to those who flee oppression. - To celebrate our diverse cultural heritage and people who had immigrated here during and since WW2 to make Cardiff the great city that it is. The Amendment was formally seconded by Cllr Carter. The Lord Mayor invited debate on the Motion and Amendment. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Thomas to respond to the issues raised during the debate. He confirmed that the Amendment was accepted. The Amendment having been accepted, the Lord Mayor moved to the vote on the Motion as amended by Cllr Molik and seconded by Cllr Carter. FOR (66) Cllrs Abdul-Sattar, Saleh Ahmed, Anderson, Ash-Edwards, Berman, Bradbury, Bridgeman, Brown-Reckless, Burke, Carter, Chowdhury, Cowan, Cunnah, Davies, De’Ath, Derbyshire, Driscoll, Ebrahim, Elsmore, Ferguson-Thorne, Gibson, Goodway, Green, Gunter, Hinchey, Hopkins, Humphreys, Hunt, Jenkins, Keith Jones, Owen Jones, Kaaba, Lancaster, Latif, Lay, Lewis, Lister, Littlechild, Livesy, Mackie, McEvoy, McGarry, Melbourne, Merry, Michael, Molik, Moultrie, Naughton, Owen, Parry, Proctor, Reid-Jones, Sangani, Shimmin, Simmons, Singh, Stubbs, Thomas, Thomson, Thorne, Waldron, Weaver, Wild, Williams, Wong and Wood AGAINST (0) ABSTAIN (0) The Motion was CARRIED.
There were 27 oral questions. 1. Cllr Berman to Cllr Burke, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Parks In allowing the fencing off of Blackweir Fields for a series of live music events, to what extent has the council been motivated by the generation of the income it is deriving from this, and how does it balance this with the concerns expressed by many residents who are deeply unhappy about part of Bute Park being used in this way and taken away from general access during much of the summer? Reply – Cllr Burke Whilst money was a consideration, it wasn’t the only consideration. We were approached by an established promoter that we work with in town, and the council’s decision to support the summer of live music events within Blackweir was entirely motivated by the aspiration to make ourselves a renowned music city. Events have attracted world-class artists and will have a positive impact on the city’s economy to the tune of around £35m worth of local spend. Given the evidence of the number of tickets sold for the events, the vast majority of Cardiff residents and beyond are in support of these events. This income is going back into a number of parks around Cardiff, as well as the Cardiff Music City Festival in the autumn. We genuinely are blessed to have such a number of large parks across Cardiff, and I would point out that Blackweir in itself, or certainly parts taken up by events in Cardiff, equates to 17% of park space across the city. What the Leader and I have committed to is, after this event series is finished, is doing a sort of mopping-up exercise with the various groups who have been impacted: that’s residents, Friends of Bute Park, that’s a number of other organisations, to receive their feedback, to ascertain what’s worked and what hasn’t worked, and what improvements we can put in in the future. Supplementary – Cllr Berman I think a lot of people will be concerned about what you’re saying, because one thing I have learned over the years is that when you start interfering or whatever with the parkland of this city, then a lot of residents do get very angry, and what you’ve told us that having live music is more important than maintaining access to this area of parkland. Considering that on the Blackweir Fields we actually have cricket pitches, I don’t know why you didn’t think about the fact that cricket pitches get quite often used in the summer, which is the cricket season, and yet we’re taking these out of action. The question I’ve got as a supplementary is that some residents have suggested to me that the usage of these fields for these concerts may not be in compliance with current planning consents. So, can you assure Council that you are satisfied that the Blackweir Live events constitute a legal usage of the fields in planning terms? Reply – Cllr Burke I’ve been sat in this Council Chamber for eight years and in that eight years I’ve heard you on more than one occasion do down Cardiff, you do down our ability to support businesses in this city. Now, we have worked with local promoters, we’re working with local businesses, as I mentioned this is bringing in £35m worth of local spend. I’m convinced that if you were to carry on down this line of inquiry, you could be accused of being anti-culture, anti-jobs and anti-Cardiff. I’m satisfied with the advice from officers that we have followed the right path and the processes, and on the point about the cricket, I have this week received a glowing letter from Cricket Wales about the work that this council has done to support not only the growth of cricket in this city, but also the support that they’ve had to mitigate the impact of the Blackweir Live events into other areas of the city, and I’d be happy to share that with anybody who asks. 2. Cllr Driscoll to Cllr Weaver, Cabinet Member for Finance, Modernisation & Performance I’ve raised this in the past and you said that UK government funding would cover national insurance contributions for employers. So, will Cardiff schools be protected or compensated for any additional costs incurred as a result of increasing employers’ national insurance contributions? Reply – Cllr Weaver There is UK government funding for public sector jobs in Wales. As yet, we have not received confirmation of the amount we as a local authority will receive in support of that National Insurance increase, though we’re expecting to get details fairly soon. The 2025/26 budget report that we passed back in March set out our working assumptions, and we will review this once we have notice of the exact figure. In that budget we made a prudent assumption that we would receive 85% of the funding towards the cost of the National Insurance increases for our directly employed staff, and the council budgeted for that additional 15% spend. We took that as a prudent measure, just so we didn’t assume we’d receive 100% of the cost. This applies equally to schools, so I hope that reassures you. As I said, we’re still awaiting that detail of exactly the levels of funding for each local authority and how that will be allocated between us. We hope to have complete clarity at the point we receive that. Supplementary – Cllr Driscoll Do you accept that, along with schools having to find additional funding for pay awards, this is going to be really challenging for schools, and do you think that the Welsh government could and should do more? Reply – Cllr Weaver I think the Welsh government is doing everything it can, I know they have received money from the UK government because it was delivered on a Barnett Formula basis. That has presented a challenge, that Mark Drakeford has spoken publicly about. They have found additional money from reserves to help top up that funding. As I said, I think we will be hopefully in a reasonable position because we made that prudent assumption that we might not receive the funding in full. I will be sharing information with Members as soon as we get the detail on exactly what our settlement will be. 3. Cllr Littlechild to Cllr Weaver, Cabinet Member for Finance, Modernisation & Performance With the recently reported increases in cyberattacks on the council, what preventative measures are being taken to reduce these attacks? Reply – Cllr Weaver Quite a few, Councillor, you’ll be pleased to know. We recognise the rise in cyberattacks on businesses and councils, and we’re taking some pretty robust preventative action in light of that. We’re investing in enhanced controls, including alignment with the Cyber Assessment Framework, which ensures we assess and improve our resilience across our critical systems. We’ve implemented stringent and ongoing monitoring of our networks to detect and respond to threats in real time, ensuring we spot anything that is happening. There’s regular staff training and phishing simulations are in place in order to try and reduce the element of human error, which remains a common pathway to attempt this kind of attack. And we’re strengthening our partnerships which already exist with national bodies such as the National Cyber Security Centre and CymruSOC, the Wales Security Operations Centre, to stay ahead of any emerging risks. There are officers at this council who are obviously very alert to this, and I think do a commendable and serious job and take it with the gravity it deserves. These efforts collectively help safeguard this council against such attacks. Supplementary – Cllr Littlechild Although not mandatory for councillors, the MyCompliance training has it at less than 30% of the online training being completed by our councillors – this being specific training that covers cyberattacks, phishing and online safety. Do you think that training for councillors should be mandatory? Reply – Cllr Weaver I think, as always, that question should be considered by all of the council groups, discussed either through the Constitution Committee or the Democratic Services Committee, because I think those things are decisions we should make collectively together. I would urge every Member to take up the opportunity for training, including on the cybersecurity. They’re often quite short, easy to digest modules. I do appreciate that many councillors will be doing this kind of training in other bodies and outside of this place as well. I do recognise some will get extensive training in that area too, I think we should acknowledge that, but nonetheless they’re a great opportunity and I’d encourage everyone to take them up when they see them. 4. Cllr Livesy to Cllr Mackie, Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene & Environmental Services The blocked rainwater gullies and drains in Pentyrch and St Fagans are a recurring issue, often filled solid with silt, rubble, and debris. While I highly commend officers for their recent excellent and responsive work in Pentyrch, the problem appears systemic. Could the Cabinet Member outline what proactive measures are in place to identify and maintain known problem gullies, especially in areas with known surface water issues? Should routine inspections be enhanced to reduce reliance on resident or councillor reports, which currently seem to be the only trigger for action? Reply – Cllr Mackie Thank you for your comments regarding the work and commitment of our officers who recently responded to the blockages in Pentyrch. Their prompt action has helped to mitigate the immediate risks associated with obstructed drains. However, I acknowledge that there remains a need for more proactive measures to ensure that our gully and drainage infrastructure is maintained effectively. To support this, we have allocated additional funding as part of this year’s budget to deliver an enhanced programme of gully emptying across the city. Officers have been scheduling this work, which is due to commence next week. In addition to the reactive maintenance we undertake in response to periods of heavy rainfall or reports from residents and councillors, the programme includes a six-week schedule of preventative maintenance of the cleaning and clearing of gullies, alongside jet-washing of drainage connections, with particular focus on residential and main routes. The second phase of this work will follow and will focus on high-risk or problematic locations within the city. Supplementary – Cllr Livesy I just wondered if there is a register for high-risk or frequently blocked gullies. I think the focus in our ward is always the lack of scheduled work that we see, so, if there is a register, can we build that into a regular scheduled thing? Reply – Cllr Mackie There is a register or planned maintenance depending on risk, so that is there and has been for a long time. Unfortunately there hasn’t been resources to cover all the work that we would like to do as fast as we could. There’s more money gone in this year for that work, and so we are managing to cover an awful lot more of the work that we wanted to do in the past, but it will still be based on risk. The roads change, the gullies change, you know, things happen, and so where you might be getting near the top, something might have happened and you go down a bit there, but they are acting in your area and I know there have been problems up there. Hopefully you will find a massive difference in the coming years. 5. Cllr Elsmore to Cllr De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning & Transport Following the evaluation of the Crystal Glen traffic access scheme, will consideration be given to widening schemes like this to other areas of the city, and if they are, will you commit to consider including Wessex Street in Canton in this? Reply – Cllr De’Ath I really welcome this question, firstly because it’s from you, one of my favourite elected Members, but secondly because it shows that people actually want this kind of thing, rather than the question from Sean Driscoll, saying that he’d been in contact with someone who wants somewhere to park their bike. There are people out there who support what we’re doing and want us to do more of it. I think the Crystal Glen scheme, which is using permanent cameras to restrict rat running through the area, has been a success but it’s not been without teething problems, I’m happy to admit that. It’s important that we pilot things and we adjust them and we get them right, and that’s absolutely what our assessment will try and do. It's something I personally support, but obviously we have to be data-led, and if our findings show there’s merit in expanding the scheme we’ll absolutely consider the street you have mentioned. Supplementary – Cllr Elsmore Can I ask the Cabinet Member, is it possible to share the evaluation, particularly because of the response and the body language of the colleague who came in while he was speaking? Reply – Cllr De’Ath I’m happy to share any information with anyone, we need to be transparent about these kinds of things. I think we’ll come to a position, I’m optimistic that will be able to take something forward. These schemes aren’t applicable to every road, it very much depends on the geometry of the street, you need somewhere for people to turn round, you can’t force people to drive through a situation where they’ll be fined. We’re evidence-led, we’re transparent, it will be available for you to see what’s worked. And I’d advise you to talk to my dear colleagues Cllr Hunt and Cllr Proctor about their experience, and maybe you’ll find that enlightening. 6. Cllr Shimmin to Cllr Goodway, Cabinet Member for Investment & Development When Cardiff, a city that proudly parades its long and rich heritage, allows a treasure like Mansion House to crumble into decay through sheer neglect and a lack of investment, culminating in the sale of yet another jewel in its historic crown, this brings into question its status as an internationally significant capital city. This isn’t just an oversight, it’s a blatant failure. What kind of global image does this paint when Cardiff so brazenly disregards its own past, proving itself incapable of preserving the very heritage it claims defines it? Reply – Cllr Goodway It is precisely because the administration is firmly committed to protecting its historic buildings and cultural assets that we continue to explore opportunities for external investment as an alternative to using increasingly scarce public resources. It has always been difficult to justify the use of taxpayers’ money to maintain a grace and favour residence for a councillor. This was especially true during 14 years of austerity, during which time the council has rightly prioritised essential frontline services including schools and services for vulnerable children and adults. I therefore make no apology for seeking imaginative and sustainable solutions to address the significant maintenance backlog across the city’s cultural estate. Given the financial constraints the council faces, it is simply not feasible to address all of these demands through public funding alone, and as such the council to focus its limited resources on core priorities, particularly investment in the school estate. Assets that are less central to the council’s operational functions have required more innovative funding solutions, including private sector involvement. I accept that these approaches may involve relinquishing a degree of control, but they represent a pragmatic trade-off to ensure that our city’s historical and cultural assets are not only preserved but continue to have an active and beneficial use. Supplementary – Cllr Shimmin Isn’t this just further damning evidence that this Labour administration cares nothing for Cardiff’s past, choosing instead to squander money on vanity projects to cement their own legacies while abandoning the city’s historic built culture? Reply – Cllr Goodway You would have done well to do your homework before raising that subject, because I am the only Leader of this council ever to invest in Mansion House, the only one ever. I want to know how much your Leader invested in Mansion House or the city’s cultural heritage during those eight years. Quite frankly, I’ve often queried what power we rely on to provide a house, for free, for a councillor, and I think if most of the people out there knew that was happening, there would have been an outrage. And frankly, I don’t think you understand the anachronism that building is. The only reason cities had mansion houses was to put up the judges when they toured the country as part of the circuit. It was part of the responsibility of the Chief Magistrate, who happened to be the Lord Mayor, to put up the judges. And when they arrived, he had to move out. That responsibility ended in 1974, and so the building should have ended in 1974 because we no longer had the responsibility for looking after judges. 7. Cllr Davies to Cllr Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities Is the Cabinet Member concerned that census data shows parts of Cardiff have a population where over 10% of adults cannot speak English, and how does this contribute to a lack of community cohesion? Reply – Cllr Thorne I’m very sorry to tell you that the census data does not show this at all. There were just 855 adults who stated they do not yet speak English, which is just 0.3% of the city’s population. At a ward level, the highest level is just 0.9%, and I think that’s testament to the sector-leading ESOL services available in the city, which are funded by the Welsh government and led by Cardiff and the Vale College. I’m proud that Cardiff is a place where people are supported and encouraged to achieve their potential, regardless of their background. A common language is key to social integration and our migrant communities achieving their labour market potential. We all benefit from this and, frankly, the census data says that we do it well. Supplementary – Cllr Davies Cllr Thorne, I will show you the tab that’s open on my phone that disproves what you just said once this meeting is concluded. The reason I raise this, of course, is because Keir Starmer said if you want to live in the UK, you should speak English, that’s common sense, that was a quote from him. This was said in his ‘island of strangers’ speech, which I know was very popular with Members here. He did that when he pointed to the lack of English being a contributing factor to societal breakdown. We cannot be a cohesive society if a common language is absent among a significant proportion of residents. I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, but on this matter I agree with Keir. The question is, is the Cabinet Member as concerned about mass migration as the Prime Minister? Reply – Cllr Thorne Before we go, I will also share a document which shows you were totally wrong and reading the census data incorrectly. No, I don’t agree necessarily with the Prime Minister’s statement, not all of it. I do understand we have to have control of migration, and I actually would love to have a chance to tell him what my ideas are. I’ve tried but unfortunately fallen on deaf ears. I do think, and it’s been said through all the speeches here, how much we’ve benefitted over the years, from the previous Motion, from many of the migrants who’ve come and stayed and lived in this city, people who’ve served us well and we’re proud of. So no I don’t agree, but I do understand that perhaps the numbers are concerning. I’m concerned about illegal migration, not least their safety trying to get here on the boats. For me, it’s an issue that we shouldn’t be playing politics with, here or in parliament. There is no party that can say ‘we did this’, they can say numbers go down a bit or didn’t, and blame one another. This is one issue where they should all be working together, both to address that issue and for the safety of those actually risking their lives to come across. You must feel that it’s so heartbreaking when you see the news reports and you see people drowning, families, kids, it’s just dreadful. 8. Cllr Littlechild to Cllr Burke, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport & Parks How do we keep our parks safe for all users, while people on Sur-Ron bikes abuse the active travel routes and pose a danger to everyone? Reply – Cllr Burke I believe that a written response was provided to you in November, but to clarify, the council has a well-established Off Road Motorcycle Team that work in partnership with local policing on joint operations, clamping down on off-road motorcycle use, which includes e-bikes or Sur-Ron bikes. Joint operations are carried out targeting specific hot spot areas of the city identified through intelligence held by both organisations. Operations can lead to a number of outcomes, including the seizing and crushing of motorcycles, anti-social behaviour referrals, social services referrals, and housing referrals. In addition to enforcement activity, the council also refers bike owners to diversionary activities, which include programmes operating from our off-road motorcycling venue, raising awareness of the impacts of unauthorised off-road motorcycle use. Participants can also learn about the safe use of bike lanes within a controlled, safe environment, and I would encourage members of the public to report any concerns about anti-social behaviour or disorder associated with illegal bikes or other forms of off-road vehicles directly to the police by phoning 101. Supplementary – Cllr Littlechild Recently, myself and my ward colleague, along with ward members, went to Butterfield Park with local residents due to the fact that there complaints about near misses with themselves and their children with Sur-Ron bikes. We went with a safety officer from Parks, who looked, and what we were asking for was for a gate that was already there to be replaced, and we were told that due to active travel routes, this gate would no longer be replaced, it would have to be replaced by bollards. Do you think it’s unreasonable to ask cyclists to dismount at a park, which would then obviously mean Sur-Ron bikes would also have to dismount, and do you think that pedestrian safety should be a priority in our parks? Reply – Cllr Burke On the first point, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect that pedestrians should be safe while using active travel routes, particularly in park areas. The element there you’ve mentioned about the active travel routes, and asking cyclists to dismount, I think when you speak to organisations that specialise in active travel, that’s something they would look to discourage. However, that’s not to kick your question into the long grass. I had a meeting with officers today about the good work the parks teams are doing with police, it is an ongoing piece of progress and it’s not only an issue in one area, I’ve got issues in my own area as well. All we can do, in partnership with the local police, is keep on reporting, keep on working with yourself and community groups, and hopefully we can drive that down. I know there was a successful operation in my own area recently with the police, where they were able to clamp down on this and quite an impact was made, but it’s that constant reporting so we can get the police where they need to be. 9. Cllr Livesy to Cllr De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning & Transport Officers have previously indicated plans to review the viability and long-term protection of the council’s self-declared Sites of Interest for Nature Conservation. Could the Cabinet Member provide an update on the plan for, or progress of, this review, including any timelines, scope, or intended outcomes? Reply – Cllr De’Ath Development proposals that affect SINCs which have been declared by the council are assessed against Policy EN5 of the adopted Local Development Plan (LDP), with related detailed guidance set out in the approved Green Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Guidance and Ecology and Biodiversity Technical Guidance Note. This policy framework seeks to ensure that development proposals maintain or enhance the nature conservation importance of these sites and, where appropriate, compensation measures are designed to ensure there is no reduction in the overall nature conservation value of the area. The Replacement LDP seeks to continue this approach through Policy BG1 of the plan. Once the Replacement LDP is adopted, we propose to undertake a review of the approved Green Infrastructure SPG and Ecology and Biodiversity TGN. This review will include a thorough review of the existing SINCs, together with the inclusion of any additional SINCs that meet the criteria set out in the relevant selection guidance. 10. Cllr Chowdhury to Cllr Mackie, Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene & Environmental Services Can the Cabinet Member provide an update on the number of fly-tipping incidents reported in the last year and how these figures compare to those of previous years? Reply – Cllr Mackie In 2024/25, there were 5,593 fly-tipping incidents in Cardiff, which represented a 5.7% decrease from the previous year's total of 5,931 incidents. Supplementary – Cllr Chowdhury What is the council’s current strategy for addressing fly-tipping hotspots? Can you please share some specific plans for including the conditions of streets such as Cowbridge Road East, in Canton and Riverside, and how are these plans being communicated to residents? Reply – Cllr Mackie We have plans for the whole of Cardiff, and I think you might be aware that there is a restructure going on at this time, and it’ll be completed this year and we’ll have 96 officers who’ll handle waste misrepresentation. Although not classified as fly-tipping, this should significantly improve the street scene, as officers will be able to address issues directly rather than passing them on to environmental enforcement officers, so there’ll be lots of work done with extra cleansing, and that will cover your area as well as every other area. Following that restructure, the removal of fly-tipping will be enhanced, providing increased resources across seven days instead of the now five days. I think you should really see a change then as those teams improve and spend extra time cleaning up. Also, the information we give out to residents has improved and we will continue to do that, looking at what information they are given on how they recycle, what they put in their waste, how they secure them, and to try and prevent the black bags being ripped by not putting food in them. So all that work will hopefully go to change the street scene that you see on Cowbridge Road. 11. Cllr Berman to Cllr Burke, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport & Parks Has the council determined yet if it will return to having four pitches on Roath Rec or remain with only three pitches, as has been the case since February 2024? Reply – Cllr Burke As indicated in my response to the written question from your ward colleague Cllr Shimmin on this matter, I can confirm that four pitches will be installed for the forthcoming season. Supplementary – Cllr Berman I thank you for that confirmation, but when I raised a petition against the reduction in the number of pitches back in February 2024, the council gave a quote to Wales Online which included the following words. It said the number of sports pitches on Roath Recreation Ground would reduce from 4 to 3 while the scheme was being built, which would take approximately 35 weeks, and when the construction was complete the fourth pitch would be reinstated. The construction has been complete for some considerable time, I think it was completed in the autumn of last year. I appreciate there is still some reinstatement work being done now, but the 35 week period that was referred to has long since elapsed, and now it sounds like it’s going to be the best part of another year before we go back to the four pitches, so perhaps you could explain why a statement was given to the press which now appears to be misleading? Reply – Cllr Burke That’s quite a strong assertion. As you’ve touched on, there was further work done recently. I don’t know what in my answer wasn’t clear, it’s not another year, it’s in September so the pitch marking is starting now ahead of the next season starting in September. What I would say is when this council develops facilities, it doesn’t take away sports pitches. I’ve maintained throughout, in conjunction with Cllr De’Ath, that part of our pitch rationalisation is to work with leagues and to work with teams to figure out what is the requirement, and we are fulfilling that now. We’ve touched on it earlier today, I commend your tenacity in representing your constituents, it’s a shame that residents in Rumney weren’t afforded the same respect in 2010, when you sought to build over Rumney Rec, and there was a blog at the time on the Guardian that called it ‘civic vandalism’. 12. Cllr Lancaster to Cllr Burke, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport & Parks Please will you publish the noise management plan for the forthcoming Blackweir Live events? Reply – Cllr Burke A noise management plan was submitted in writing for approval by the Pollution Control Team within Shared Regulatory Services for each event. The management plan includes proposed sound levels for the event, expressed in terms of decibels over the proposed monitoring duration and locations; the plan documents the methodology to be implemented to monitor, control and manage the impact of noise disturbance from each event; and the plan incorporates a complaint management process for which site management details the available process should a complaint arise. This was completed by a qualified acoustician. The document in question is not owned by the local authority so we do not hold the necessary rights or permissions to share it. Shared Regulatory Services will be happy to take any specific questions relating to the noise management at Blackweir Live events. Supplementary – Cllr Lancaster Thank you for that answer, it is reassuring to know that the plan does exist, but of course you’ll see where I’m coming from, there’s a number of residents around the area concerned about the noise generated by the event, and of course would like to see the noise management plan, and are afraid that the lack of publication of it is hiding something. Indeed, there should be an independent heritage impact assessment on the whole site, that should have been published by now and hasn’t, and of course we hear, as Cllr Berman alluded to earlier in his question, that potentially the whole event could be in breach of planning conditions. Do you see that, therefore, what such a lack of transparency does to the confidence amongst the community in your ability to hold these events, now and in the future? Reply – Cllr Burke To clarify, there was a Heritage Impact Assessment. You’ve asked quite a lengthy question there, and I’ve always prided myself on my ability to be transparent and communicative with people. If you have any specific questions that you or residents would like to go through then I’m happy to go through them. As I said, the Noise Management Plan sits with SRS, so it’s not within my gift to share that. 13. Cllr Reid-Jones to Cllr De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning & Transport Can the Cabinet Member provide an overview of moving traffic enforcement methods currently in place across Cardiff, including how penalty notices are issued and monitored? Reply – Cllr De’Ath The council manages the traffic network in Cardiff and enforces moving traffic regulations through the monitoring of bus lanes, banned turns, box junctions, school streets, and weight limit restrictions. We use both fixed and mobile enforcement cameras, including CCTV-equipped vehicles. These CCTV devices are certified by the Welsh government to ensure compliance with legal standards. When a vehicle violates these restrictions, the council issues a Penalty Charge Notice to the registered owner or keeper of the vehicle. Motorists can pay or formally challenge the Penalty Charge Notice online through the council’s portal. To appeal the fine, they must follow the legislative process by submitting a written challenge within 28 days. Challenges cannot be resolved over the phone or in person. If the council rejects the challenge, motorists can have the matter considered by an independent adjudicator from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. 14. Cllr Livesy to Cllr De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning & Transport Is the council expecting updated guidance from the Welsh government on setting speed limits, particularly to address concerns around derestricted and effectively 60mph roads in rural and semi-rural parts of the city? And if so, what is the anticipated timeline, and how will this inform local policy or enforcement? Reply – Cllr De’Ath We are expecting updated guidance from the Welsh government which will include derestricted roads. We haven’t got a clear timetable of when that will be arriving, we understand it’s currently in draft form, and they’re doing some testing on it over the autumn, but we don’t know when it’s going to be published. I’m not sure what it will say, so we will wait for it to be published and digest its implications. In terms of enforcement, I’m not sure what measures will be in there, but it will be mainly for the police. Supplementary – Cllr Livesy I did have some ideas for a supplementary question, and then since the question opened an email from 12 year old Griffith in Creigiau, and thought I may as well read that: ‘Can you please make the road outside my home safer? We live on the lane at the bottom of (I won’t say where), and myself and others need to walk up the lane in order to get to the bus stop. Many times, I’ve had cars driving aggressively past me and have had to leap into the hedge so I don’t get hit. There are no cameras, speed bumps and no pavement on the side of the road (which is very common in our ward). Can you please make sure the road is safer by slowing down the traffic?’ Just very typical of our ward, basically. Reply – Cllr De’Ath Thank you to your resident for writing in. As I’ve said to Cllrs Driscoll and Elsmore, we really welcome people telling us that sort of thing. To some people in this chamber, reducing speed limits is the worst thing you could ever do, it will bring about ruination and hell and high water, but it is really important. I know sometimes it’s not popular to do these things, but we know they’re the right thing to do, and that’s absolutely something we will not shy away from. 15. Cllr Ferguson-Thorne to Cllr Mackie, Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene & Environmental Services I welcome the seagull sack trial for residual waste in Adamsdown. Can the Cabinet Member provide an update on the ongoing evaluation to date? Reply – Cllr Mackie The seagull-proof sack in Adamsdown is already improving the street scene within the ward. Gull-proof sacks stop animals from tearing waste bags, reducing litter in residential areas and public spaces. They also make the waste easier to handle for our collection teams. For homes where wheelie bins aren't suitable, these sacks are an affordable alternative. Given the positive results of the trial to date, I’ve requested that the trial be expanded to the whole of Adamsdown and rolled out city-wide by the end of 2025/26. Supplementary – Cllr Ferguson-Thorne Just to say thank you, and we welcome that further rollout. Can I ask whether there is further ongoing education enforcement within the ward to help residents understand these changes? Reply – Cllr Mackie Yes, prior to any further rollout and to it going around the city, there would definitely be more education. First off, I think there were some people that thought they had to put their waste without the bag into the black sack, and that could be a problem. So the message will go out that you put your rubbish into a black plastic bag, and then it goes into the black sacks, and then it works very well. 16. Cllr Latif to Cllr Weaver, Cabinet Member for Finance, Modernisation & Performance In light of the International Court of Justice’s provisional ruling in January 2024, which found plausible evidence that Israel is committing genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza, and its July 2023 advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, as unlawful and in breach of the prohibition of apartheid; and given the UK’s binding obligations under the Genocide Convention and international law not to aid or assist in such awful acts: Can the Cabinet Member for finance please confirm what steps Cardiff Council has taken to ensure that no council-managed funds, including those within the Local Government Pension Scheme, are invested in or used to procure from companies complicit in Israel’s breaches of international law, including arms manufacturers and military technology suppliers; financial institutions funding such companies and businesses operating in or profiting from illegal Israeli settlements? Reply – Cllr Weaver Thank you for your question, obviously referring to a heartbreaking humanitarian situation in Gaza, but you’ve asked specifically around the funds, the council and the pension fund, so I’ll seek to answer those. I’ll address the finances controlled directly by the council first. So with regard to procurement, all council procurement is undertaken in accordance with UK and Welsh legislation, including the Procurement Act of 2023, which sets out the grounds where an organisation can be prevented from being considered for public contracts, and we will always comply with legislation. The council's new Socially Responsible Procurement Policy demonstrates our ongoing strong commitment to ethical procurement, which is embedded into our procurement procedures and standard tender questions, which ensures due diligence is carried out on all companies tendering for council contracts. In respect of the council’s own treasury management activities, which is where we also have funds, the question of any connections has been asked, and we are not aware of any money marking fund or similar deposits that we use having any direct exposure to Israel, and we do actively engage with our treasury advisors on any changes to funds, through ratings of companies and geopolitical risks, to understand that exposure. I don’t have time in this one minute to answer in full specifically around the pensions, but you will notice in the written questions there was a question from Cllr Molik, where I’ve set out in detail the response in relation to that. There are certain investments in Israeli companies that I highlight in there, I think 0.13% of the investments in total, but there is more detail in there, and I’m happy to take further questions afterwards on that, in writing as well. Supplementary – Cllr Latif In this particular case, has the council sought legal advice on its obligation under the Genocide Convention and international law in relation to its financial and procurement activities? If so, will that advice be made available to councillors? Reply – Cllr Weaver I think, to be absolutely certain I give the correct answer, I’d just like to check with the legal team, procurement and our finance team around what advice any officials may have taken, so I will check that out and I will write to you. I know there are a number of Members in this Chamber who’ve written to me who are awaiting an answer, which I will be getting, I’m in the midst of preparing for them, on this exact subject, that’s been raised with me over a number of months by colleagues across the Chamber, so I will be writing back with that further information. 17. Cllr McEvoy to Cllr Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities Can the Cabinet Member please provide an update on the housing situation in Cardiff? Reply – Cllr Thorne Unfortunately, in Cardiff, like many other cities, the demand for affordable housing continues to outstrip supply. There are currently 9,900 applicants on the Housing Waiting List, an increase of 1,900 since December 2023, when the housing emergency was declared. 736 families, 995 single people and 221 young people are currently residing in temporary accommodation in Cardiff. This is an increase of 40% since 2020. There are currently 27 rough sleepers, of which 52% have no local connection to Cardiff or no recourse to public funds. However, our dedicated teams continue to work tirelessly to support homeless households across the city. Our homelessness prevention rates remain strong at 79%, and the average waiting time for a prevention appointment has now been reduced to just eight days. Our multi-disciplinary teams continue to work every day to engage with rough sleepers, supporting them into accommodation. Due to their complex needs, some entrenched homeless individuals do not accept this offer of accommodation. At the peak of the housing emergency, the council was leasing five hotels and utilising bedspaces in dormitory-style accommodation to meet demand. However, due to the robust plans that have been implemented, including the strategic acquisition of properties from the open market, the innovative use of modular builds and of course our ambitious new build programme, we have successfully eliminated the use of bedspaces entirely and we reduced the leased hotels from five to three. We are committed to further reducing this figure in the coming year, taking forward our new build programme at pace and scale. Supplementary – Cllr McEvoy Thanks for a very comprehensive answer. I could ask about the thousand long-term empty properties, still, in the city, I could ask about inappropriate spaces in hostels where people are exposed to substances, but I think I’d like to concentrate on your opinion on a positive proposal, a policy I think the council should be looking at. We’ve mentioned the pension fund earlier, I think what should happen with the pension fund in the public sector across Wales is that a percentage of it should be used to provide housing. When it’s building council houses, renovating houses, providing rental accommodation, two things would happen: the asset would accrue value, which would be good for the pension fund anyway, and there would be an immediate income with rent, so the pension fund would win both ways. I don’t really understand why the public sector in Wales doesn’t do this, I just wondered what you thought of that idea. Reply – Cllr Thorne Of course, I’d agree with any way we can get anybody investing in social housing. But that decision has to be made by the organisations who manage those pension funds. I think I’m aware that they are considering investing in homes, something along those lines. But I have to say, I remember being on the Pensions Committee a long time ago and I kept saying I don’t know why, if we were investing in properties all over the world, why you can’t be investing in council homes, because it really must be a real sure bet. They’re always going to be filled, we’re always going to be getting the rents in. So yes, I agree with you. I know, because we’ve had visitors from all over the UK coming to Cardiff, and looking at all of our schemes, particularly modular, and we really are doing exceptionally well. And I can’t take all the credit for that, because we’ve got innovative staff there who are really looking at every single option and trying and bring more properties on, and we really are doing an amazing job. Like I said, I’m not taking the credit, there are officers at this council who are doing that, and we would be in a much worse place. Particularly with single homelessness, when you think of it, 26 or 27 sounds like a lot, but when you think we used to have over a hundred tents in this city, we’ve really made a massive difference, but not just by housing people either, it’s about the support that’s going into those individuals, not just from the council, but also from health, and it is about that working partnership. I wish we could do more. 18. Cllr Molik to Cllr Merry, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Education Reports state the school building program is going well. Given the fiasco with Cathays High School, how much money was invested in securing plans for the Cathays expansion, and has it resulted in anything? What hope do we have for the much-needed Cardiff High expansion? Reply – Cllr Merry Since the proposals to expand Cathays High School were brought forward in 2020, the council has invested over £3.6m to replace end-of-life temporary buildings to support increased intakes to an oversubscribed school and plan for the future permanent expansion. This means that the school has admitted up to 75 additional pupils in each year group since 2020, ensuring families in the area and those moving are able to be placed without delay – hardly a fiasco. The council is awaiting a decision from the Government Property Agency in respect of the disposal of the Companies House site, to facilitate replacement of the expanded Cathays High School through Cardiff’s Sustainable Communities for Learning rolling investment programme. In my response to your question at Council in June 2024 on the expansion of Cardiff High School, I confirmed there will be sufficient permanent mainstream English-medium community places to serve Cardiff’s existing communities, and that Cardiff High School was not included within the nine-year rolling programme. There has been no change since my reply to your question in 2024, however priorities will continue to be reviewed throughout the period of the rolling programme and new programs may always be developed. Supplementary – Cllr Molik I do remember that reply, but you did then say it would be reviewed, and it was within the Band B funding proposals that you did secure that funding on behalf of the plans, basically, from the Welsh government. Companies House, so you’re hedging all your bets on Companies House, which is now staying put for the longer term. So if that falls, what’s going to happen then? Reply – Cllr Merry I’m sorry, I’m afraid you’ve been misinformed if you think that our sole potential site is the Companies House site, and I believe that’s covered by another question that’s come to Council today. I’ve already pointed out to you that because of the number of pupils in Cathays, we were able to start an expansion and add additional places, 75 every year since 2025, and those are pupils that have come from catchment areas all around that school, which had been oversubscribed. Those are places that would not have been there if we had delayed expansion. 19. Cllr Driscoll to Cllr De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning & Transport I’m grateful for the Leader acknowledging that the complete removal of free parking is not acceptable, but does the Cabinet Member think 30 minutes free parking is long enough for the patient to visit the surgery, see the doctor or nurse and pick up a prescription, and have to pay to park to see their GP? Reply – Cllr De’Ath I always find the press coverage of things like this really frustrating, because we consult, we listen to people, and if we make no changes we’re ogres who don’t care what people think. If we do make changes it’s an embarrassing U-turn, and blah blah blah. To be fair to you, that’s not an accusation you’ve levelled, and to be fair to Cllr Berman, he said we’ll see, so I acknowledge your honourable conduct. In answer to your question, I think it’s long enough to pop in and pick up a prescription, it’s long enough to stop and get a loaf of bread, it’s long enough to go to the shop and get a box of fags or a paper, which are things people said during the initial consultation. And if it’s not long enough to do whatever you want to do, I don’t think 50p is an unreasonable amount of money to pay. If it's free parking for the people using it, it’s not free for the council subsidising private car use, and I would argue that actually these arrangements lead to more turnover because more people are popping in to buy things from local shops, there will be a benefit for businesses. Supplementary – Cllr Driscoll Cyclists don’t pay for cycle lanes either, and they need to be maintained. Have officers consulted with organisations like Age Concern and the Older People’s Commissioner Office, and will the Cabinet Member agree to meet with me, the practice manager and partners at the local surgery and pharmacy to discuss their concerns ahead of the next TRO? Reply – Cllr De’Ath We’ve engaged with various stakeholders over this, we engaged with various stakeholders during the first TRO consultation. Obviously, as you say, it will be out for consultation again, and anyone can put their views forward and we’re happy to listen. But I do think this current compromise is fair. 20. Cllr Lewis to Cllr Merry, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Education It was good to see the progress of the Ysgol Cynefin ALN new builds in Fairwater and Llanrumney to replace the existing Court School. Can you outline how the local authority plans to expand ALN provision across the city? Reply – Cllr Merry To meet the rising demand for placements and to ensure learners’ needs are met, the council has expanded city-wide specialist provision since 2021, including the enlargement of special schools and specialist resource bases, establishing 14 new bases (including three in Welsh medium), and also securing additional capacity by expanding the Pupil Referral Unit and community teaching. Since 2021, the council has increased its specialist provision in special schools and specialist resource bases from 1050 places to 1,555 places, an increase of 48%. By the end of 2026, when the council will have delivered the new Fairwater Campus, expanding Riverbank and Woodlands special schools, and two new sites for the Court, specialist places will reach 1,737, an increase of over 65% in a six-year period. We recognise, though, that this is at the same time as an increase in demand, so the council is working closely with school stakeholders to develop strategic proposals to increase within-county placements, reducing reliance on the independent sector, and in turn maximise the educational impact and ease pressures on school budgets. We’re aiming to bring forward these proposals in the autumn term. 21. Cllr Berman to Cllr Weaver, Cabinet Member for Finance, Modernisation & Performance The council is consulting on a senior management restructure on the basis that, as outlined in the report to Cabinet last week, key areas of management leadership need to be addressed. However, the proposed restructure will have a net cost increase to the General Fund of £77,000 a year, with any exit costs to be additional to this. Why is the administration not also asking the Chief Executive to bring forward options for the council to consider that could reduce the net annual cost of the senior management layer? Reply – Cllr Weaver We are always asking the Chief Executive to bring forward proposals that save money, and indeed he is in the process of identifying an £800k management saving across a wider tier of management within the local authority. That was part of the savings we identified in the budget we passed earlier this year. It’s about five years since we did a review of the senior management arrangements, though, and the critical thing, as we’ve been very clear, is that yes, there is a net increase of one post and a net increased cost to the General Fund of £77,000, but it is absolutely crucial that senior management arrangements are right. We’ve asked the Chief Executive to identify the challenges that we face now as a council and the challenges we anticipate over the years ahead, and how to strengthen those arrangements. This proposal is a very, very modest increase in the net cost for the senior management arrangements that will allow us to deliver the challenging agenda we have in the years ahead. The changes made in 2020 have stood this council very strong, the review showed that broadly our management arrangements are correct. We’re talking about some tweaking to focus on emerging priorities and needs of the council. I think what is absolutely critical is yes, we will always ask the Chief Executive to save money, but not at the expense of making the wrong decision for the future administration and leadership of this council. Supplementary – Cllr Berman Year after year at this council, we’ve regrettably had to make staff redundant, sometimes on a voluntary basis and sometimes not on a voluntary basis, as we’ve sought to reduce costs in increasing years of austerity. Do you not think it sends a bad message out to those staff who’ve had to accept redundancy that we’re now going to press ahead and spend more money on top layer of management in the council? Reply – Cllr Weaver I think staff in this authority, in the most recent survey, showed that they understand the leadership that has been shown by our senior management team and our Chief Executive over these years. They recognise that actually when you’re managing an organisation that spends over a billion pounds and has significant statutory responsibilities, that those roles are necessary and have delivered a culture of a strong, together council, with improving staff view of their role and their empowerment within this council, over years. There’s been a significant improvement in the staff survey over years, even as you say over years when we’ve been having to save money and reduce costs, and in some years significant headcount reductions. What I will say is that the one thing you cannot sacrifice if you’re going to run a council properly is the correct senior leadership team to take you through, and I do remember the days many years ago when you were Leader. There were very few senior managers, there were a lot of very well-paid management consultants around here, and I do not believe the leadership of this council was better at all. 22. Cllr Melbourne to Cllr Merry, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Education What steps is Cardiff Council taking to support schools in implementing the Welsh Language and Education Bill that introduces a minimum requirement for Welsh language teaching, and how will the council ensure that both staff training and resources are in place to support schools to meet these expectations across the sector? Reply – Cllr Merry Council officers have worked with Welsh government officials since January 2023 to support the development of school language categories and to shape the final version of the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill. The council has also worked closely with the National Centre for Learning Welsh, established by the Welsh government, to support the implementation of the bill and the upskilling of staff. A number of Cardiff’s English medium schools have already been identified as having excellent practice. For example, Ninian Park Primary School was the first school in Cardiff to receive the Cymraeg Campus Gold Award. A bespoke programme is being developed with the National Centre for Learning Welsh to provide resources and to create confidence amongst staff, and this programme is already being shared and implemented on a cluster level within the Fitzalan High School cluster. We also intend to hold a conference in the forthcoming autumn or spring term to share good practice from Canada and North Wales among all colleagues across the city. I know you will be as keen as me to see that we implement this properly. Supplementary – Cllr Melbourne As we all know, Welsh is compulsory in our schools, yet delivery hours within high schools vary wildly. The new Welsh education bill sets clear minimums of 80%, 50% and 10% of delivery depending on the school language category, but allows schools to delay the implementation subject to local authority approval. Now, let us be clear. This is a bill that, in the Welsh government’s own words, will give every child the opportunity to become an independent, confident, Welsh speaker by the time they finish compulsory education. A bill that would open doors for our pupils, provide new job opportunities, provide access to the rich culture of the Welsh language and allow people to enjoy using the language in their everyday lives. If we believe in that ambition, then deferring delivery isn’t just a delay, it’s a denial of opportunity. So, I ask you, will this council commit to refusing schools’ requests to defer the new statutory standards, unless they are supported by clear, evidence-based justification following thorough investigation, and not simply budget or staffing issues, and commit to ensuring schools are fully supported to meet these standards from the outset? Reply – Cllr Merry I am totally in sympathy with the intentions of the Act. I’m one of many parents whose children went to English-medium schools, and got the paper qualification for their GCSEs to say that they had passed Welsh, but if they were asked to go into a café and order a cup of coffee or a pint of beer, they wouldn’t feel they had confidence to use Welsh. On a personal reflection, I think that we need to focus much more on pupils developing their oral skills and actually being confident Welsh speakers as opposed to written, but that is my own personal view. It's that ability to use a language with confidence, any number of us will have different GCSEs in languages but whether we could actually use them in practice is limited. I certainly am slightly hesitant to take the word ‘commit’, simply because I don’t like to commit to something unless I can absolutely guarantee it, but I certainly agree with the sentiment expressed there about making sure that schools have to actually evidence why they would need to delay it, that I am happy to say in this Chamber, because actually we know the challenges with developing spoken Welsh amongst our staff, and making sure that pupils have the opportunity to use it. I think any request to delay would need to be considered very carefully and make a robust case. 23. Cllr McGarry to Cllr Bridgeman, Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities I would like to thank the council officers for securing Welsh government funding to upgrade the facilities at Penylan Hub. Do you agree that this funding will strengthen the Hub’s standing in the community and help deliver even more accessible activities for the community? Reply – Cllr Bridgeman I am very pleased to say that, following a successful grant bid, work to improve Penylan Hub will start soon. Our consultation with the local community showed that both adults and children would like to participate in more activities and events at Penylan Hub, including fitness classes, social groups, homework clubs and play sessions. The current building layout, as you know, would not allow us to expand on the activities offered, and so plans were put forward to improve the building. The Welsh government grant will fund an extensive refurbishment project, including the creation of a community room and the introduction of flexible, multi-use spaces to enable more community activities to be delivered on a larger scale. Accessibility will also be improved with new signage, wayfinding and colour schemes that support a range of sensory needs. I’m confident that these improvements will allow us to deliver high quality accessible activities for the whole community. Supplementary – Cllr McGarry At the moment, it’s the Penylan Library and Community Centre, and it’s now suddenly become a Hub and it’s being expanded. We’ve never had a Hub in Plasnewydd, which is where the Penylan Library and Community Centre is. I’m thinking, now that it’s a Hub, will there be more services provided, like there are in other Hubs across the city, such as with our partners in health etc.? Reply – Cllr Bridgeman Yes, I visited there a few months ago and you could see that space was restricted, so by having that space there I’m 100% certain we can put more services on, more drop-in sessions. In many of the Hubs now we’re working with the health board putting on activities, but also things like money advice, drop-ins and other services, exciting times. 24. Cllr Kaaba to Cllr Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities During the winter months, Cardiff Council supported rough sleepers. Can the Cabinet Member update me on what the council is doing to support rough sleepers during the hot weather? Reply – Cllr Thorne The council has a severe weather protocol to support homeless individuals, and this includes managing risks associated with hot weather as well as cold. The protocol was initiated recently in response to the weather warnings. For rough sleepers, we undertook a number of actions to ensure the risk of hot weather was minimised. Our outreach service provided additional support, visiting rough sleepers on the street and providing advice based on NHS guidance on how to stay safe during the hot weather. Bottles of water were distributed to those sleeping rough and suncream was also provided. The impact on pets was also considered, and advice and guidance were offered on how to look after their welfare during the hot weather. During the hot weather, safe spaces were also set up within partner projects so that those sleeping rough could have a place to go during the day, and additional accommodation is made available for those who want to access it. I am pleased to say that 14 individuals did take up the offer of accommodation over the recent hot weather. 25. Cllr Abdul-Sattar to Cllr Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities What support is being given to the residents of Channel View when they move from their current accommodation into the new development? Reply – Cllr Thorne Firstly, I want to reiterate that the redevelopment of Channel View prioritises new homes for the existing residents living on the estate. Furthermore, we want to make the experience for residents moving to their new home as easy and stress-free as possible. Viewings ahead of the move itself will be arranged to suit residents’ needs, and support and advice will be available before, during and after the move. The council is committed to fully supporting the existing tenants with their move, including arranging the removal process for them. As an alternative, a payment of £500 can be made in order that the resident can secure their own removal company. Every household will be entitled to a disturbance payment of £250 to cover the additional costs of moving: such things as disconnections and reconnection of white goods, telephone, satellite and broadband reconnection, and the redirection of mail. In some circumstances, residents will be entitled to a home loss payment in recognition of the loss of their home. The amount payable is set by the Welsh government. All eligible residents will be contacted individually about their home loss payment. A point of contact will be put in place for tenants ahead of, during and after their move, so that any concerns or issues can be dealt with swiftly. 26. Cllr Wong to Cllr Merry, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Education Could the Cabinet Member give us an update on the very welcome application to the Welsh government for funding for the much-needed repairs to both Roath Park Primary School and Albany Primary School? And could she press the local Member of the Senedd, who has taken an interest in the matter, to facilitate a speedy resolution? Reply – Cllr Merry Thank you, Cllr Wong, I know you’ve raised the issue of the condition of Albany Road and Roath Park Primary School with me on several occasions, and as you note, some schools in Cardiff are in much need of repair due to historic underinvestment, and Cardiff Council is prioritising Roath Park Primary School and Albany Primary School. Works have already progressed on both sites to address condition issues, and further work is planned. The council is carefully planning and prioritising its funds across the city to ensure works to most in need are addressed in priority order. The Welsh government prioritises its funds in major refurbishments and new builds, and does not provide significant funds for maintenance. However, we are working closely with the Welsh government at all levels to address options for a range of schools. 27. Cllr Owen Jones to Cllr Bridgeman, Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities Can the Cabinet Member give an update on the services at the Adamsdown Hub, Capel i Bawb? Reply – Cllr Bridgeman The Hub, which is based in Cardiff Royal Infirmary, opened in March 2022. While it is a health-operated facility, a range of services and activities are provided on site by our Hubs and Libraries Team. These include full library provision, bookable meeting rooms and an ICT suite, with public access PCs alongside free public WiFi. There are several community groups that take place at the Hub, a Friends and Neighbours Group, and a volunteer-led tai chi group, which is very popular with the older residents. Storytime and Rhymetime sessions also take place for younger children and parents to enjoy. Following recent discussions with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, I am pleased to say that the opening hours are going to be extended in the near future. Plans are also underway to further increase the number of community groups taking place in the facility, and to improve engagement with schools, ensuring that the facility is a real asset to the local community. Supplementary – Cllr Owen Jones I know opposition Members will think that was set up but that was genuinely news to me, thank you very much for that, Cllr Bridgeman. It is an amazing facility which has had great investment in it. The shame has been that it closes at 2pm on a weekday and isn’t open on a Saturday, so residents can’t experience what has been invested in their community. So it’s very welcome news, and I look forward to seeing the details of that, but if we could get the weekend opening so children of the local vicinity can visit it, that would be fantastic. Reply – Cllr Bridgeman Yes, yes, yes. Thank you to yourself, Cllr Jones, and Cllr Ferguson-Thorne, because you played a big part in helping me to get the opening hours extended
Part of an issue followed across 11 meetings
There was no urgent business.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. Receive nominations and appoint to the vacancy on the Committees, in accordance with the Party Group wishes, as set out on the Amendment Sheet.
The Council was requested to receive nominations and make appointments to current committee vacancies, as set out in the report and in accordance with the approved allocation of seats and political group wishes. Cllr Driscoll noted that he had been listed in the wrong political grouping on the Amendment Sheet, which was noted. RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. Receive nominations and appoint to the vacancy on the Committees, in accordance with the Party Group wishes, as set out on the Amendment Sheet.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To approve the new appointments of Local Authority governors to the school governing bodies as set out in Appendix 1, each for a term of 4 years from the date of the appointment, in accordance with the recommendations of the Local Authority Governor Panel.
Council was asked to appoint Local Authority School Governors to fill vacancies. RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To approve the new appointments of Local Authority governors to the school governing bodies as set out in Appendix 1, each for a term of 4 years from the date of the appointment, in accordance with the recommendations of the Local Authority Governor Panel.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To approve the updated programme of meetings for the 2025-26 municipal year as in Appendix A (to be published on the Amendment Sheet); 2. To delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the respective Chairpersons, to make any subsequent alterations to the programme of meetings which may be required.
Council was asked to approve the updated programme of meetings for the 2025-26 municipal year. RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To approve the updated programme of meetings for the 2025-26 municipal year as in Appendix A (to be published on the Amendment Sheet); 2. To delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the respective Chairpersons, to make any subsequent alterations to the programme of meetings which may be required.
In accordance with Council procedure Rule 17 (f), the Written Questions received for consideration and their responses were attached to the minutes.
Part of an issue followed across 11 meetings
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